THE health service had to pay out as much as €1.3m last year in compensation to its own staff who were injured on the job.

The State Claims Agency, which handled the cases, did not elaborate on the injuries or the number of employees but the main events reported annually involve slips, trips and falls.

There were 85,918 incidents involving staff and members of the public logged by the State Claims Agency in 2011.

Around one in three of the incidents, which would have included near misses, involved slips, trips or falls, said the Health Service Executive (HSE).

"The impact of a slip, trip or fall can vary from a minor cut or bruise to more severe implications. Healthcare services have a range of policies in place to minimise slips, trips and falls, focusing strongly on staff training. Patient mobility assessments are carried out and assessments of the physical environment," the HSE said.

The HSE recently issued a circular to staff on the prevention and management of stress in the workplace, saying it recognised it as a health and safety issue.